Drabble #akskjdklslkd
Set in DOGS-verse, starring Haine, Naoto, and Badou (with Nill cameo!)--
... I'm writing this as I go because I REALLY want a nap and this is NOT leaving my head. Just a small slice-of-life fic.
"You know, I bet some of these would fit you."
"...."
"No, seriously. Like this one here, with the.... holy shit, why does it need so many buttons? This thing's probably worse than a straitjacket!"
Naoto had seen many a strange sight, but few rivaled Haine Rammsteiner and Badou Nails standing ankle-deep in black and white clothes. A second glance revealed them to be Gothic Lolita dresses of every shape and size; Badou was holding up one that looked as if it'd fit his partner quite comfortably. Haine, however, was eyeing it as if it were a cleverly disguised explosive rigged to go off at any moment.
It was rare to see them both here at once. The majority of her visits to the church involved quiet conversations with Bishop or sitting in one of the pews with the katana's familiar weight resting against her shoulder, keeping an eye on the young winged girl trotting earnestly about with her broom. Some days, Haine dropped by to check on Nill or sort through his weapons, giving Naoto a brief glare if he caught her glancing at him. Occasionally, he'd slouch on the other end of the long bench, neither looking at the other, but also not budging, simply content to sit there in pensive silence. At other times, Badou would come rushing in, gasping about needing a place to hide from an irate gun-toting someone-or-other... or he'd simply arrive to cheerfully accuse Bishop of being a "perverted priest with a sick love for playing dress-up". That was always followed with a wicked grin in Naoto's direction and a loud whisper of "Careful, he'll come after you next."
("I may be blind, but I can hear you just as well as God can," Bishop commented once, beaming almost angelically and threading his long fingers together. "You're lucky I can't smite as well as he can.")
Naoto had never considered ever having a place to just come to every once in awhile for no real reason (despite her convincing herself it was because Badou and Haine knew something about the area below the Underground and that Bishop also possessed knowledge that might help her in her pursuit of her namesake). Much to her chagrin, she was starting to become slightly accustomed to these visits. She found herself looking forward to seeing Nill's sweet smile, to hearing Badou's animated stories of some of his more interesting jobs, and she and Haine didn't give each other irritated stares as much as they'd used to.
"The oddest people are drawn here," Bishop had told her last week. "Those seeking salvation, those seeking retribution, the devout and the faithless... and what is a church but a sanctuary for all of those lost lambs? It's not uncommon for those people to find comfort in each other as well."
She recalled his words now with a small frown. She had more important things to take care of. She had a past to recover, someone to find and kill, and stopping by the church wasn't exactly fulfilling either of those two goals. So why--
"Hey, Naoto!" Badou caught sight of her and waved; Nill, watching the two males as she dusted off bibles, visibly perked and Haine tensed. "You came just in time! I told Mr. Unkillable here that he could fit into some of these dresses and he doesn't believe me, so I told him he should try one on!"
"No," Haine said flatly, narrowing his eyes to emphasize his denial.
"So which one--"
"I swear I'll shoot you, you jackass--"
"I personally think the one that got raped with lace would look the best. I mean, all that white will fill in for the eyebrows he never had--"
Haine was already reaching for his mauser when Naoto laughed.
For someone who hadn't laughed in years, the sound was surprisingly clear-- clear enough for all of them to hear it, and definitely clear enough for all of them to immediately know what it was.
While Haine and Badou both looked as if the ceiling had just fallen in and Nill let out a quiet gasp, pressing her hands to her mouth, no one was more startled than Naoto herself.
Where had that come from? From Haine's grumpy glare? From Badou's smirk and the way he had brandished the dress like a bullfighter's cloth, just daring the albino to take the challenge? From two grown men having an argument over a dress with more ribbons and layers than a wedding cake? From the realization that this entire situation was quite possibly the most ridiculous thing she'd ever walked into?
She didn't know; she was still trying to remember the last time she had ever lowered her guard enough to really, truly laugh. The fact that she couldn't remember was more than disconcerting.
"... Huh," Badou muttered suddenly, walking over to her. The next instant, her vision was obscured by ruffles and black silk as he dropped the dress onto her head. "Baby steps, right? Soon we'll have you grinning like the Cheshire Cat."
Naoto responded with a small snort, reaching up to tug the offending garment away. "That's not very likely."
"You laughed."
"... Barely."
"That was still a laugh, Naoto~."
"Barely."
"Heeeeey, so if we get Haine into that dress, I bet that'd make you laugh aga--"
"Try it and die."
"Oi, let me finish my goddamned sentence first before you start making death threats, Fluffy."
Click.
"H-hey! Did you just take the safety off?? I was just joking!"
As Badou continued to flail and Naoto and Haine shared a look that plainly stated "He brought this on himself", Nill watched them all and pressed her hands against her heart with a peaceful smile.
It wasn't exactly the most orthodox family, but somehow it suited her just fine.
... I'm writing this as I go because I REALLY want a nap and this is NOT leaving my head. Just a small slice-of-life fic.
"You know, I bet some of these would fit you."
"...."
"No, seriously. Like this one here, with the.... holy shit, why does it need so many buttons? This thing's probably worse than a straitjacket!"
Naoto had seen many a strange sight, but few rivaled Haine Rammsteiner and Badou Nails standing ankle-deep in black and white clothes. A second glance revealed them to be Gothic Lolita dresses of every shape and size; Badou was holding up one that looked as if it'd fit his partner quite comfortably. Haine, however, was eyeing it as if it were a cleverly disguised explosive rigged to go off at any moment.
It was rare to see them both here at once. The majority of her visits to the church involved quiet conversations with Bishop or sitting in one of the pews with the katana's familiar weight resting against her shoulder, keeping an eye on the young winged girl trotting earnestly about with her broom. Some days, Haine dropped by to check on Nill or sort through his weapons, giving Naoto a brief glare if he caught her glancing at him. Occasionally, he'd slouch on the other end of the long bench, neither looking at the other, but also not budging, simply content to sit there in pensive silence. At other times, Badou would come rushing in, gasping about needing a place to hide from an irate gun-toting someone-or-other... or he'd simply arrive to cheerfully accuse Bishop of being a "perverted priest with a sick love for playing dress-up". That was always followed with a wicked grin in Naoto's direction and a loud whisper of "Careful, he'll come after you next."
("I may be blind, but I can hear you just as well as God can," Bishop commented once, beaming almost angelically and threading his long fingers together. "You're lucky I can't smite as well as he can.")
Naoto had never considered ever having a place to just come to every once in awhile for no real reason (despite her convincing herself it was because Badou and Haine knew something about the area below the Underground and that Bishop also possessed knowledge that might help her in her pursuit of her namesake). Much to her chagrin, she was starting to become slightly accustomed to these visits. She found herself looking forward to seeing Nill's sweet smile, to hearing Badou's animated stories of some of his more interesting jobs, and she and Haine didn't give each other irritated stares as much as they'd used to.
"The oddest people are drawn here," Bishop had told her last week. "Those seeking salvation, those seeking retribution, the devout and the faithless... and what is a church but a sanctuary for all of those lost lambs? It's not uncommon for those people to find comfort in each other as well."
She recalled his words now with a small frown. She had more important things to take care of. She had a past to recover, someone to find and kill, and stopping by the church wasn't exactly fulfilling either of those two goals. So why--
"Hey, Naoto!" Badou caught sight of her and waved; Nill, watching the two males as she dusted off bibles, visibly perked and Haine tensed. "You came just in time! I told Mr. Unkillable here that he could fit into some of these dresses and he doesn't believe me, so I told him he should try one on!"
"No," Haine said flatly, narrowing his eyes to emphasize his denial.
"So which one--"
"I swear I'll shoot you, you jackass--"
"I personally think the one that got raped with lace would look the best. I mean, all that white will fill in for the eyebrows he never had--"
Haine was already reaching for his mauser when Naoto laughed.
For someone who hadn't laughed in years, the sound was surprisingly clear-- clear enough for all of them to hear it, and definitely clear enough for all of them to immediately know what it was.
While Haine and Badou both looked as if the ceiling had just fallen in and Nill let out a quiet gasp, pressing her hands to her mouth, no one was more startled than Naoto herself.
Where had that come from? From Haine's grumpy glare? From Badou's smirk and the way he had brandished the dress like a bullfighter's cloth, just daring the albino to take the challenge? From two grown men having an argument over a dress with more ribbons and layers than a wedding cake? From the realization that this entire situation was quite possibly the most ridiculous thing she'd ever walked into?
She didn't know; she was still trying to remember the last time she had ever lowered her guard enough to really, truly laugh. The fact that she couldn't remember was more than disconcerting.
"... Huh," Badou muttered suddenly, walking over to her. The next instant, her vision was obscured by ruffles and black silk as he dropped the dress onto her head. "Baby steps, right? Soon we'll have you grinning like the Cheshire Cat."
Naoto responded with a small snort, reaching up to tug the offending garment away. "That's not very likely."
"You laughed."
"... Barely."
"That was still a laugh, Naoto~."
"Barely."
"Heeeeey, so if we get Haine into that dress, I bet that'd make you laugh aga--"
"Try it and die."
"Oi, let me finish my goddamned sentence first before you start making death threats, Fluffy."
Click.
"H-hey! Did you just take the safety off?? I was just joking!"
As Badou continued to flail and Naoto and Haine shared a look that plainly stated "He brought this on himself", Nill watched them all and pressed her hands against her heart with a peaceful smile.
It wasn't exactly the most orthodox family, but somehow it suited her just fine.